Releasable fastening for life rafts



June 5, 1945. f H. G. MORNER 2,377,803

v RELESABLE FASTENING`FOR LIFE RAFTS Filed Aug. 22, 1944 ZSheetS-Sheet 1June 5, 1945. v H Q MQRNER 2,377,803

RELEASABLE FAS'IIENING FOR LIFE RAFTS Filed Aug. 22, 1944 2Sheets-'Sheet 2 5 I nlnllllunH l..

mmnmmlllmE IN V EN TOR.

flans eaf "afn/wer M E Patented June 5, 1945,

UNITED .STATES PATE-NT OFFICEv 2,377,803 I RELEASABLE FASTENING FOR LIFERAFTS Hans G. Morner, New York, N. Y.

Application August 22, 1944, Serial No. 550,503

y 10 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in devices for releasably securinglife rafts or other buoyant objects carried on board vessels.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in parthereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned bypractice with the invention, thevsame being realized and attained bymeans of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in theappended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements,combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a parthereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together withthe description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a stack of life rafts secured and equippedwith means embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the stack shown in Fig. l, `a portionthereof being broken away to show the ends of two rafts in section;

Fig. 3 isa transverse central vertical section of a portion of saidstack of rafts illustrating the raft-releasing operation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the raftsecuring frames orbrackets; and

Fig. v5 is a reduced, partly diagrammatic view of the invention inoperation, showing the action thereof with a stack of rafts secured tothe deck of a submerged vessel. l

The invention is directed to providing novel means for releasablysecuring a nested or superposed stack of life rafts or similar buoyantobjects to the surface of a' ship or other vessel in such manner as toprovide automatically for the immediate release and freeing of each `ofsaid stacked rafts from the stack as soon as the vessel sinks orotherwise submerges. The invention provides for securely fastening eachof the rafts of the stack to the vessel and to the other rafts in thestack during normal sailing operations so that the raftsl may be stackedwith a View to the greatest economy of space on the deck and heldthereon in secure position during normal movements of the vessel evenunder most severe weather or othersailing conditions.

While it is a relatively simple matter to so fasten a stack of rafts fornormal sailing conditions, problems arise when the vessel submerges, atwhich time it is desired immediately to release the rafts individuallyso that they will float free from the vessel and be available .for useby its survivors. As soon as the raft-supporting deck of a sinkingvessel is submerged, the water tends 'to float the stack of rafts`thereon and thus to exert an upward stress upon any lashings o'r otherapparatus provided for fastening the rafts together and/or to the deck.This fact has caused great difficulty in readily unfastening stacks offloating or submerged rafts. Even if the lashings have been secured thewhole stack will oat off, the lowest rafts floating the rest, whichmakes it almost impossible for a survivor swimming in the water to prythemf apart .or otherwise separate the rafts in such a floating stack. tr

It has heretofore been the general and common practice to lash a stackof lifesaving rafts to the deck by means of pelican hooks andturnbuckles. This securely holds the stack to the deck but requiresseveral manual operations to release each one of the stacks. In anothermethod of fastening, the life rafts are stacked between uprights weldedto the deck at the corners of the stack or around the edges of the liferafts. When the ship sinks on an even keel, the life rafts float out ofthe uprights but if the ship goes down with a considerable list, thestack may jam and go down with the ship. In either manner lof lash-'-ing, the stack normally oats off as a whole, and the rafts can beseparated and launched only by tilting the iioating stack. This requiresthat one or more seamen climb the side of the floating stack of rafts,and tilt the stack until theA rafts separate and iioat away. Due to therelatively heavy weight of each of the rafts, this is a very dangerousoperation, and as the stack turns over in the water, the seamen may beseriously in jured and possibly killed.

By virtue of the invention, a stack of rafts may be secured together aspreviously stated yet im-Y mediately upon submersion will automaticallyseparate from each other and each unit of the stack in turn will float`free therefrom and be delivered to the surface of the water unconnectedwith any lashing apparatus or other impedimenta. Furthermore, the raftsof the stack are released therefrom and from each other alternately fromtwo sides of the stack so that they will tend to float apart from eachother and thus not interfere with each other as they separate and cometo the surface. However, al1 of the lashing apparatus used to secure therafts together in the stack during normal operations will remainconnected to the deck of the vessel and automatically be brought to restthereupon in an orderly manner during the releasing operation so thatsuch lashing devices will not encumber the surface of the water orotherwise interfere with the rescue operations or safety of thesurvivors.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an anchoring meanswhereby the stack as a whole is lfirmly anchored to the ships deck,while the individual rafts of the stack, from the top downward, are freefrom direct connection with the -deck and, Whilenormally Aheld fromdisplacement., .are adaptedto oat off one by one and to be automaticallyreleased and separated from each other for rap-id launching in the eventof quick sinking of the ship. l

Broadly described, the apparatus-provides for the stacking of aplurality of rafts in nested relationship one above the other, separatedby intervening frames or spacers of 4buoyant for-"non-l l buoyantspecific gravity. Each of said separating frames is individually lashedto the deck of the vessel byone .or more wires orilike ties whichv runfrom :withinl` the-separating frame lover the' raft below 'it,1downone'side of the -stackand 'therealong nto the ..deck. The' lashing wiresof one' frame .lead over the side `of thestaclcopposite to those oftheladjacent :raft frames of the rafts above;andzbelow it, the raftsthemselves not ybeingfzpositivelyconnected to the declrat any time. Ascaresult-.-of'this alternate unilateral frame lashing arrangement, thebuoyant effect'of the wateren the'submerged stack is such as to causethe .uppermost raft'to rise, and thereafter the in superposed relationas shown in Figs. 2, 3 Iand 5, usually at least ve of said raftsconstituting such a stack. In acco-rdance with the invention and aspreviously stated, each of the rafts of the stack is separated from thatbelow it by an ntervening fastening frame as shown most clearly in Fig.4. The central axis of said frame preferably is made of a metal pipe orrod I0 slightly less in length than the major outer axis of the obongraft I. Cross .bars Hand t2, similar in shape and material to thecentral bar IU and long enc-ugh to extend across the raft are dis-:posed crosswise of bar I0 about one-third of the 4.distance ,betweenthecenter and the ends of said central bar. The bars I0, II and!!preferably 4alllie in the-same plane and the junctions of the bars IIand IZ with the bar I0 are preferably strengthened by diamond-shapedwebs I3 and I4 respectively as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

The ends o-f the bars I0, II and I2 are designed to rest-snuglyupon'thetop surface of the raft below them and similarlyfto vsupport the raftabove them. For this :purpose each lend of each of said bars isprovided-with `a raft-engaging .block i5 preferablyfthoughvnotnecessarily, formed `.of wood. .Each of vsaidblocks is identical'inconstruction and a descriptionof one will suice. The Vblocks l5 are'centrally 'bored' to lit about the ends `of the round bars ISB, I Iyand I2, said bars projecting through the block bores and being threadedat their projecting. ends, The blocks are thus tightly fastened at the`ends of 'the bars by next'raft may rise at its free side-and tilt`toward its .lashed side until the tilting reaches such 'an angle thatthe superposed frame is disengaged and falls. with Ithe lashing wires-to the -surface of the fdeck, thusfreeing the second iraft to -iloat.to the surface. 'This simple tilting operation automatically releases'the raft-and'frame just below, permitting'it yto tilt vto the opposite'side under `the buoyant action of the-'water and the pullv-ofiitsrespective lashing wires. kThus the rafts of a submerged stack willalternatelytilt to the vright and left 'of the stack,freeing-'themselves vand releasing .each other to float `upwardly and'to oneside or the-*other while their lashing frames alternately arefdumped lo-n the deck over toward the sides ofthe stack toward whichthey are tilted. If vtime permits, the rafts may' be launched Amanuallybefore submergence, without requiringfany severing of lashes Yor use ofany force'except the tilting -ofsuccessive'rafts in oppositefdirections.

it will be understood that the -foreeoinggeneral description andthefollowing 'detailed vdescription as well are exemplary andexplanatorybut are not Arestrictive ofthe invention.v

Referring now in details-to the lpresent. preferred 'embodiment' oftheinvention, Villustrated by Away of example inthe accompanying drawings,thefrafts shown in` said drawings 4comprise -the presently usedsubstantiallypblong bodies I, filled Withany suitable ybuoyant material2. Said generalv shape and construction of life rafts is we'll .knownandv constitutes no 'necessary part of the invention and the structurethereof is'shown herein in general voutline only. The vinterior,portion' ofi'said-raftbounded by the yfloating oblong body 1|"may -beempty-or may containa fiat connecting `,web (not shown) which 'isusually per and 3. The elongated or stem portion I5 ofthe block-isstraight and 'flat sowas correspondingly to conform to the squarefaces-of theraft bodies I. As shown in Figs. 2 and'3 between each tworafts of the stack there -is placed 'one of the cruciform framesl Vjustdescribed whichframe yis closely nested with respect to the rafts aboveand 'below it and serves frictiona'llytohold said rafts in place withrespect Ato each other and thereby'to form the stack. The shape ofssaidframes is such that the raft cannot slide laterally 'in any direction,while the weight of the rafts and frames holds the stack together.

In accordance with lthe invention, however, additional r'nriealus areprovided for lashing the stack of vrafts to a fixed ylocus on the deck,which means also serves to Lelfect the prompt and separate release yofthe rafts from the stack Vand from each other -upon'subrnersion For thisplural purpose, exible lashing wires, ropes, cables v-or other similartensiony means -are provided. The lashing wires 25, as shown, constitutethe present preferred form of such means.l As embodied a pair Aofvspaced wires 25 and 26 Vare provided for,

lashing a separate Aframe to the ships 'deck'. Said wires are loopedthrough yand fastened to suitable eyesfor vstaples Z'I'and 28respectively, which staples are bolted, riveted or otherwise fastened tothe deck surface .38. 'The wire 2E, for example, is run verticallyAupwardly alongthe outerside of the staclrfand over the toprof the raftbody I which lies below 'the uppermostV separating frame, across thetop/of said body and over the cross-bar Ii.v and the central bar vIIl ofthe' frame to engage the bar I2 on the far side of the diamondshape webI 4. This engagement is made by looping the end of the wire at 33 aroundsaid bar I2 at least once and then fastening the free end to the runningpart of the wire by `clamps or other suitable fastening means. The wireis run upwardly from the. staple 2'! andffastened to the cross bar II ofthe frame in similar manner. By this fastening arrangement the frame andthe raft I beneath it are firmly lashed to the deck, the wires 25 and 26beingmade as ltaut as possible, and this lashing tends to constrict thewhole stack while resting on the deck. Referring to Fig. 3, it will beseen that the next lower frame which separates the raft I from the raftla below it is similarly fastened to the deck by wires and 3S whichengage similar staples 31 and 38. It will be noted that the Awire lltvis looped about the cross bar I2 of said frame at a point beyond thecenter rod Ill of said frame and at' the side opposite the fastening ofthe upper wire 25 at the point 33 on the frame above.

The intervening frame for the next lower raft through the staples 21 and28 in the mannerrst described with respect to the frame for raft I (Fig.3). That is, the wire 25 for the frame above saidraft Ib rises fromstaple 28 and is connected at point 43 to the cross bar I2 of thelowermost frame, which point 43 is directly below the point 33 of theuppermost frame of the stack of three rafts shown in Fig, 3, when saidrafts are all nested in the stack in their static condition.

Referring now to the operation of the invention when theldeckl 30 of avessel is submerged, same will be clear from Figs. 3 and 5. Bearing inmind that each raft of the stack shown in Fig. 5, for example, is lashedto the deckby wires running from the frame above it to stapleson oneside only of the stack, while the frame above the raft just below (andof alternate frames like it) are lashed by wires running to staples atthe opposite side of the stack, the principle of the operation will beclear.

With the arrangement shown and described the stack will be firmly heldin position against shifting of the rafts or displacement of the stackas a whole under any and all normal disturbing forces, while the raftsare free to be removed one by one without the necessity of rst severingany lashes. Thus the rafts are adapted to be successively removed andlaunched, when their use becomes necessary, within a minimum Vperiod oftime, without liability of confusion, and with a minimum amount oflabor. If suiiicient time for their manual removal is afforded, the topraft, which is freey to be lifted off, may be removed and launched,after which, by simply lifting the spacers and swinging them outwardly,successively in opposite directions, the underlying rafts may beconveniently removed one by one and launched. In the event, however, ofthe rapid sinking of the ship, as soon as the vessel submergessufliciently to bring the top raft of the stack below water, the buoyanteffect of the water on said rafts -will cause the uppermost one to risefrom its free side and tilt about the blocks I5 on the frame just belowit. The wires 25 and 26 (Fig. 3) on the frame above said raft I willhold taut while the free or unlashed side of the frame rises under` thefloating raft. This tilting action continues until the raft assumes anangle suiiciently steep above horizontal to throw off the frame restingon top of it. The attachment of the wires at the point 33 beyond thecenter line of the frame tends to impart a strong Vdisengaging leverageto this motion so that the frame is quickly pulled away from the tiltingraft and falls free to the side of the stack. `Duringthe tilting actionthe lower edge of the raft -turns upon the stem I5 of the frame belowit, thereby tending to hold said frame in place. Also this vaction tendsto hold down that side of the raft below. However, as soon as the frameabove is cast olf, the raft I floats `away and then the free edge of thenext frame below is able to rise as the raft I a starts to vtilt aboutits opposite side under the influence of the wires 35 and 36 attached asshown. Thus in a stack such as shown in Fig. 5, the rafts will be`tilted successively to one side and then to the other and their framesdisengage toward said respective sides in alternate relation from thetop to the bottom of the stack; Preferably the uppermost raft (Fig. 2)is allowed to rest freely on top of the first frame. without any lashingabove said raft. Thus when the vessel is submerged the first raft floatsfreely upwardly from the top of the stack.and so is automaticallydisengaged as shown in Fig. 5.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specificmechanisms shown and de-A scribed but departures may be made therefromwithin the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from theprinciples of the invention and without sacrificing its chiefadvantages.

What I claim is:

, 1. A device of the class described including in combination, aplurality of life rafts stacked in superposed relation on the deck of avessel,

' non-buoyant spacing frames between each raft and the one below it inthe stack and tension members running over an edge of each raft, saidmembers beingconnected to the frame thereabove and to the deck adjacentsaid edge of theraft, the tension members from alternate frames beingconnected to the deck at opposite sides of the stack whereby the unboundsides of the rafts in the stack may rise under the buoyant effect ofwater to tilt the rafts and superposed frames in opposite directions tofree said rafts and frames from the stack.

2. A device of the class described including in combination, a pluralityof oblong life rafts stacked in superposed relation on the deck of avessel, non-buoyant spacing frames between each posed frames in oppositedirections to free said.

rafts and frames from the stack.

3. A device of the class'described including in combination,V aplurality of oblong, open-center life rafts stacked in superposedrelation on the deck of a vessel, non-buoyant spacing frames betweeneach raft and the one below it in the stack occupying a portion of theopen-center space 'I of said rafts, and tension members running over anedge of each raft, said members being connected to the frame thereaboveand to the deck adjacent said edge of the raft, the tension memthedeck-.at oppesiteV-,Sdesief tbe-fstack whereby the unbound sides o f therafts in .the Stackimay rise under the buoyant effect of water to tilt`the rafts and superposed frames in opposite directions t free Said.rafts andframes from the stack- -4. Adevice oftheclassdescribed.including in combination, a plurality of voblong liferafts stacked in superposedrelation on thedeck of -a vessel, non-buoyantspacing frames between each raft and the one below,v it in the stackyand tension members running -over a Vlongitudinal edge of each raft,said members being connected-to the frame .ther-eabcve andpto the deckadjacent said edge of the raft, the tension members from alternateframes being. connected to the deck atopposite sides of the stackwhereby the-unbound sides of the rafts in the stack mayrise under thebuoyant effect of water to tilt the rafts and superposed frames inopposite directions to free said `rafts and frames from thestack,thetension members being-connected to the respective frames at pointsbeyond Vthe center lines thereof remote from the sides ofthe stack onwhich said-members are fixed to the deck.

.5.'In means for securing a vertically disposed stack of life rafts andraft spacers to a ships deck, and in. combination with ;a series ofsuperposed rafts, and spacers between the rafts, lashes connectingdifferent spacersat the respective sides to the deck .at opposite sidesof the stack tand extending fromsaid spacers outside of the respectiveraft sides.

6. In means for securing a vertically disposed stack of life rafts andraft spacerscto a ships deck, and in combination with a series ofsuperposed rafts, and spacers between the rafts., lashes arranged atopposite sides of :the stack alternately connecting-spacers at theopposite sides of thesstak 12o-.the deQk-andextendlrisfrsmfseid spacers.,Qiltsideof the respectvereft Sides- `7. In means for securing a,vertically disposed stack of -life vrafts and. raftspacers t0 ashipSdeck, and in combination with a seriestoft-supern0sed rafts.`and-Spacers .between therafts, a set of lashesat one outer side of ,thestackconnecting spacers at different levels to the deck, andy a set of olashes at the opposite outer side ofthe stack connecting spacers atother different levels tothe deck.

r8. In means for releasably anchoring a stack of superposed vlife raftsand intervening raft spacers to a ship's deck, a lashing at ,one louter,side of the ,Stack connecting thetop spacer'tof the stack to the deck,.a lashing atthe samerside of the vstack connecting an intermediatespacer of :the stack to thedeck, and lashings at the opposite outer sideof the stack respectively connecting `the others of the lspacersarranged between rafts of the stack to the deck.

9.'v In means for releasably anchoring Aa stack of superposed life raftsand spacers disposed between the rafts to `a ships deck, lashesconnecting .different spacers ofthe stack from top to bottom yof thestack to the deck alternately at yopposite sides of the stack, eachofthe la'shes extending onone outer side only of theI stack from the deckto Va spacer.

1 0. In combination ,with the deck of. a ship, a Stack 0f life raftsmounted thereon.. andspacers disposed between the rafts and releasablyengaged therewith, fasteners at one outer yside only ofthe `stackconnecting certain spacers with the deck,

and fasteners at the opposite outer side only `of the stackconnectingthe remaining spacers with the deck.

HANS G. MORNER.

